The United States Space Force will soon have more company. France’s declared interest in boosting its military readiness in space follows increased spending and interest in the area by the United States, China and Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron had approved the creation of a space command within the French air force to improve the country’s defence capabilities.
The declaration — made on the eve of France’s Bastille Day national celebrations that feature a military parade down Paris’s Champs-Elysees. Macron said the focus on space would be a “true national security issue” that would work towards “better protecting our satellites”.
Observers see military activities — including spy satellites, location tracing and jamming, communications and cyber attacks — increasingly being set up in orbit around Earth.
